kensington market

3rd sunday of every month

kensington town hall10am till 3pm

showcasing talentedartisans and designers

﻿Kensington Town Hall is a classical style building, fairly typical of Victoria era municipal town halls. The building, located in Bellair Street was first constructed in 1901. The Kensington Town Hall is a heritage listed building and an important civic space for the local community.

During World War II it was used as a command post. In about 1939-40, a command post was established under the Kensington Town Hall in Bellair Street, Kensington near the intersection with Racecourse Road in Melbourne, Victoria.

It was however, only briefly used as a town hall before the residents elected to amalgamate with the City of Melbourne in 1906. Over the intervening 100 years or so until the present day the building has been variously used for balls and cultural activities, a library, a temporary home for the Chinese supermarket now on Racecourse Road and most recently, a ballet school.

After acquiring the site in 2008 as part of the municipal boundary changes, the City of Melbourne – with the addition of state government funding – has restored the hall to a functional space for the Kensington community.

On 8 April 2014, the Future Melbourne Committee considered a report about the Kensington Town Hall operation and management proposal. The Committee approved that City of Melbourne would directly operate and manage the Kensington Town Hall for at least two years, to review the best operating model at that time. The intended uses for the Kensington Town Hall will include affordable spaces for large community, social and celebratory functions, safe spaces for young people to gather, arts activities and community education and training spaces, the availability of hot desks for local organisations and micro-businesses and no commercial spaces.

The use of Kensington Town Hall will also be available for local community groups and not-for-profit organisations on a licensed and non-exclusive shared office arrangement. The City of Melbourne has completed landscaping and additional work has been completed to upgrade and preserve the facade and foundations of the Kensington Town Hall building.

The building now comprises a collection of offices on two levels, the former Mayoral Office and Council Chamber, a supper room, kitchen and the main hall. The main hall is large with a raised proscenium arch stage. In the current series of works a lift and ramp have been installed and the toilets off the main hallway have been refurbished and a DDA compliant toilet installed.